CLAIRE PROUSE COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN NORTH OF SCOTLAND FINAL

Left to right before the scratch final: Nicola Robertson, match referee Neil Harper (Deeside GC captain) and Claire Prouse. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

 By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Claire Prouse (Murcar Links) won the North of Scotland women's amateur championship at Deeside this afternoon - and the Aberdeenshire selectors will very probably reward her with a place in the team for the Scottish county finals at Stirling in September.
Claire was not a member of the county team that won the North Division title at Tain but Rachel Polson (Peterculter), who did play, will be back at her American university by the time the finals are played. So there is a place to be filled!
Prouse, 12th of the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages, beat Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New), the No 7 seed, by 3 and 2 in the final on another dry, warm day at the Bieldside course.
In the morning semi-finals, Prouse beat Jackie Brown (Monifieth) by 3 and 2 while Robertson beat last year's beaten finalist, Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) by one hole.
Robertson won three holes in a row from the fourth to take a three-hole lead in the final but Prouse started her comeback with a birdie 4 to win the long seventh. Although she went two down again at the eighth, the Murcar Links player seized the initiative when Robertson bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 12th holes.
Prouse won all three to surge from one down to one up.
She went two up at the 14th and clinched the match and the title by winning the 16th.
Fifteen-year-old Lauren Watson, playing off seven, won the handicap championship, beating Alison Graham by 2 and 1 in an all-Deeside final. Young Lauren was conceding eight strokes her opponent, who had her handicap cut to 15 after the qualifying round.

NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Deeside GC
SCRATCH
Semi-finals - Claire Prouse (Murcar Links) bt Jackie Brown (Monifieth) 3 and 2, Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New) bt Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 1 hole.
Final - Prouse bt Robertson 3 and 2.

HANDICAP
Semi-finals - Alison Graham (Deeside) (15) bt Fiona Hay (Deeside) (6) 8 and 6, Lauren Watson (Deeside) (7) bt Maureen Gillan (Murcar Links) (22) 4 and 3.
Final - Watson bt Graham 2 and 1.

          Left to right: Alison Graham, match referee Duncan Skinner, and Lauren Watson.
                                     Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency